Presidential Politics
Fittingly, on this day where in the United States we mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, historic changes occurred in world politics. In what could be considered civil rights achievements in their own right, the nations of Liberia, in west Africa and Chile in South America, both elected new presidents and both are women.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in today as the first female head of state on the African continent, and in a nation that has seen 14 years of civil strife, has made a pledge to maintain peace.
Liberia was established in 1847 by freed American slaves. First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice were among the world dignataries attending the inauguration, who also included South African president Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo.
On Sunday, Chileans went to the polls and elected Michelle Bachelet their new president. The 54-year-old mother of three was once a political prisoner, jailed and tortured by Chile’s former military junta. She is now the country’s first female president and only the third in Latin America. Her politics are center-left and she wants to work on social justice and economic issues.
Meanwhile, here at home, domestic eavesdropping authorized by the Bush Administration against American citizens without proper warrants, drew fire from former Vice President Al Gore during a speech in Washington. Gore called on the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor and for Congress to conduct comprehensive hearings into the matter.
Posted by bernie at January 16, 2006 10:25 PMI think it's great that there have been two women elected to presidential positions. I think the most qualified person should get any job, but it's great when racial or gender discrimination don't get in the way of a qualified candidate getting a top position like President of a country.
As for what Gore is proposing, I'm in his corner 100%! I think the crookedness of this presidential administration needs to stop somewhere. He clearly broke the law when he did what he did and he got up there and lied when he said that he needed to do what he needed to do WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW to protect the US. Well Georgie, it wasn't the law.
Sadly though, I think he'll cruise right past this controversy as well.
Posted by: Absolutelee at January 17, 2006 4:13 PMI heard Vice President Al Gore's speech today on the Randi Rhodes show 1190 AM, and it was awesome. Now, you know the man's presidency was lost because of improprieties in the election process. This man is intelligent as hell, and what he says always makes sense. Unlike Bush, he doesn't make flaky speeches. This speech carried much weight, and I love hearing his passion and clarity.
In such times, it is a shame that a country that was once the model of democracy and progession, now is running behind countries that are historically unstable and and oftentimes repressive. The president of Liberia, however, lived in the US and went to Harvard. It seems that those Africans who reach that height in their own countries often have strong ties to the US. I don't know if that's good or bad in this case, but it is encouraging to see people return to their countries to make a difference. Glad something about the US could help that.
Me.
Posted by: Reg at January 17, 2006 6:11 PM